“This week, the Home will take up a invoice adopting the tentative settlement – with no poison tablets or modifications to the negotiated phrases – and ship it to the Senate,” Pelosi mentioned in an announcement. “It’s my hope that this mandatory, strike-averting laws will earn a strongly bipartisan vote, giving America’s households confidence in our dedication to defending their monetary futures.”
Freight rail corporations urged Congress to behave shortly.
“Nobody advantages from a rail work stoppage – not our prospects, not rail staff and never the American financial system,” mentioned Affiliation of American Railroads CEO Ian Jefferies. “Now could be the suitable time for Congress to go laws to implement the agreements already ratified by eight of the twelve unions.”
The September settlement, although, doesn’t embody sick depart, a key concern for freight-rail employees, who’ve sought to ensure medical time without work and different advantages.
Tony Cardwell, president of the Brotherhood of Upkeep of Manner Employes, mentioned he would oppose any laws that doesn’t embody paid sick days. BMWED was one in all 4 unions that voted down the proposed settlement, and Cardwell mentioned he would stand by his members.
“When Biden makes the declare that he’s pro-union — and I imagine that to be true — and Democrats marketing campaign on it, they higher ship,” Cardwell mentioned. “If we’re not going to get it, then they shouldn’t intervene.”
The specter of congressional intervention already robbed unions of leverage, Cardwell mentioned. Freight-rail carriers final week turned down the union’s newest supply of 4 paid sick days — down from the preliminary request of 15 — understanding Congress would step in, he mentioned.
Cardwell mentioned he had been on the telephone all day attempting to shore up assist for paid sick days within the forthcoming laws.
“My transfer is to combat like hell,” Cardwell mentioned.
Pelosi in her assertion praised the September deal for “together with a 24 % increase, no modifications in copays, deductibles or coinsurance prices, a while off for routine, preventative and emergency medical care,” however mentioned Democrats would proceed to “combat for extra of railroad employees’ priorities, together with paid sick depart.”
The White Home signaled earlier Monday it will not let a shutdown of freight rail strains cripple the financial system, with a spokeswoman noting that Congress has repeatedly intervened up to now to stop work stoppages.
“The president is straight concerned within the course of and has been engaged along with his group and likewise has had conversations with members of Congress on this explicit concern, in case resolving the problem falls to them because it has 18 instances within the final 60 years,” White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned.
Congressional motion to cease a strike isn’t a foregone conclusion. Laws might run into objections from progressive Democrats as a result of unions, a strong Democratic constituency, oppose it. Senate procedures are extra sophisticated, so getting a invoice handed by the deadline would in all probability require all 100 members to agree on holding a fast vote.
Senator Bernie Sanders, an impartial from Vermont, mentioned he would assist a rail strike invoice if it ensures sick depart advantages.
“Our combat has received to be that employees in that trade are handled like human beings and get assured sick depart,” Sanders mentioned. “That’s what I’m going to combat for.”
The Senate Commerce Committee’s high Republican, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, mentioned Congress should go laws to avert the strike.
“The president says he’s going to ask Congress to behave and I’d anticipate Congress to assist that request,” he mentioned earlier Monday, predicting that lawmakers would act earlier than the Dec. 9 deadline.
Nonetheless, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, mentioned a invoice on the rail strike has been mentioned however that it will be a “problem” to get it achieved by the deadline.